Botox Training For Non-Medics Surely Not in the UK?!

a. self-administered
b. administered by an appropriate practitioner
c. administered by anyone acting in accordance with the directions of an appropriate practitioner.

This means that legally anyone can give an injection as long as they are directed to do so by a prescriber before it is administered. The reason that doctors, dentists and nurses have routinely given these in the past is not only due to their knowledge and experience but also as they have been the only practitioner that has been able to obtain insurance to practice.

This is changing rapidly. Non-medical personnel, for example, phlebotomists, dental nurses, ODPs, pharmacists, health care assistants, beauty therapists, semi-permanent make-up artists and tattooists are now being offered insurance by well-known insurance companies.”

All that you need to do to attend one of their courses is to pass a Level 3 Anatomy and Physiology course which they are about to start offering as well, but which can also be sourced from a multitude of correspondence course providers nationwide.

They do state that they cannot supply you with botulinum toxin as you need to have a practitioner write a prescription, but they are able to supply you with practitioners that will do this so you can get the product and inject away!

The really good news though, that will please the GMC, NMC, MHRA and surely the new IHAS Register for Cosmetic Injectable Providers (Quality Assurance Mark) Scheme is that: “only doctors and nurses have the necessary skills to train you in basic medicine and drug interactions which are included in our course agenda.”; and “you can be assured that you will be taught by the very best in the industry”.

SURELY THE REASON THAT ONLY DOCTORS AND NURSES HAVE THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO TRAIN YOU IS THAT ONLY DOCTORS AND NURSES HAVE THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO INJECT!

A beauty therapist also comments: “Now I am trained I can safely say that I will be working with a doctor who will make sure I inject in the way the law says I should. Thanks The Academy of Cosmetic Training."

Isn’t that great? This is the same “law” that says it is illegal for her to inject a dog but a human is fine!

Another delegate, a tattoo artist explained how: “So far it has fitted in perfectly with my business of body piercing and tattooing. I use needles every day and it is a different technique to what I was used to but I soon got the hang of it.”

The insurers are Cathedral Associates Limited – if any of you clinics out there are insured by them, it might be worth cancelling your policy very soon as the premiums could be about to go up as all the mistakes come in from the non-medics! (This is also the same insurance firm that we highlighted as offering insurance for beauty therapists who completed a dermal filler course with James McGrath back in our April 2007 feature article - Beauticians Offering Cosmetic Injectables & Peels.)

Details of the training provided were very vague but I was given the name of a known RGN from the North West who was involved, but there are most certainly others so I will not name and shame her alone.

A doctor is doing the prescribing, but they refused to give me the name(s), stating their reason being that this encourages people to approach the doctor direct, rather than going through the Academy, something which the doctor(s) does(do) not appreciate. So, MHRA and GMC, now it is your job to continue that part of the investigation as they will prescribe without seeing the client; is that legal for cosmetic procedures I wonder?!?

Finding out who exactly is training delegates was a little trickier, and unfortunately, this information was not forthcoming.

Just to really worry you all though, 17 out of their next 18 courses, which all take place before the end of October 2010 in three locations across the country are fully booked – maybe, after all, it really is the government’s way of lowering the dole queue!

This to me goes to demonstrate the ridiculous nature of the current legislative situation of Medical Aesthetics, how can the government, the GMC, the NMC, the MHRA and let’s be honest, the Industry allow this to keep happening.

*Since writing this blog and contacting the company via a mystery shopper telephone call the company’s website has been changed and certain information subsequently removed.

We saved copies of the website during our investigation and screenshots of the FAQs and testimonials will be available via the September Edition of our Gold Members Industry Newsletter. Medical professionals interested in attending courses run by reputable training companies can visit this Cosmetic Training Directory.